At a Girl's Mercy, or, The Fortunes of War — page 185: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

174 AT A GIRLS MERCY. and left it warm and rosy. She hesitated for a mo- ment, and then said, quietly: 7 ra, “T thought you knew all about it, Charlie, or | would never have let you read this letter. I thought you knew about everything excepting this last trouble that has come, and that of course I was sure you had not heard. I wouldn’t have let you read it for the world!’’ she added, with sudden vehemence, |. ‘not for the world, Charlie! It may have done you a great deal of harm already, and I can never for- vive myself if ithas. What a silly thing I was to give it to you, anyway.”’ | He stopped the swift words with a kindly nod. He smoothed the gentle hands he held, and smiled oravely to comfort her. : “Tt has done me not the slightest harm,”’ he said, uietly, ‘‘and you need have no such thought, Dearest I think I would have never forgiven you if you hadn’t told me of it while I was with you to have your comfort.”’ ae | It was sweet to have his comfort. It was sweet to know that she could be sure always of this comfort, no matter how hard and sad the wurld might be to her so many times. It was good to be sure she could tell him of any of her sorrows and feel this tender touch on her hands, and the tender gravity of the gray eyes meeting her own. Her heart was com- forted, even coming as she had from the presence of death, and she smiled tearfully, proving her woman’s heart still too tender to bear all the sorrow of the war without a trial. : ‘“T shall tell you all about it then,’’ she said, and now she smiled, and the smile was very sweet and tender. ‘“‘I thought, indeed, that you knew or I would not have let you know, but now I shall tell you all about it, for it would be cruel to let you go home without being prepared for what you must meet, only I did not know our dear little Nan had joined the ranks, Charlie. But I knew she would as soon as ever she could, her heart was so bent on going, and she is so well fitted for it in spite of her apparently care free life. Her sunny face and sweet ways will cheer many a sufferer, as a graver woman 7 i ; ; 24 a ; comicbooks.com _ Oa ve 1 7 rs ish 7 y # e > - ti v4